Cheap Ice Cream and Free Fun

Baskin Robbins is having their 31 cent scoop night on Wednesday, April 28 from 5-10pm.

Red Butte Garden has free admission on Arbor Day and will give out free trees too! Mark your calendars for Friday, April 30 from 9am - 3pm.

Upcoming Ward / Stake Dates

Mark your calendars:

Emergency Preparedness Fair - for the whole community
(please invite your neighbors, family and friends)
May 22nd, Saturday, 9-12 @ South building

Stake Clothing Swap
July 17th, Saturday, 9-2 @ South building

Emergency Bag Lists

Here is a listing of the kit supplies for your Emergency Bag that have been distributed in Sunday School each week.

These lists were compiled this list from several others. There are many other things that could and even should be included. This is not comprehensive. If you have any ideas to add, please leave comments on the blog so that others can benefit from your expertise and knowledge.

Kit #1: Helping Out
Latex gloves
Work gloves
Filter masks
Glow sticks
Safety vest
Emergency Bag

Kit #2: Makeshift Toilet
Moist towelettes
Hand sanitizer
Bar soap
Toilet paper or napkins
Plastic bags w/twist ties
Privacy covering
Disinfectant: bleach or spray
Optional: bucket with improvised seat

Kit #3: Meal Prep
Moist towelettes
Napkins
Tablecloth
Paper plates
Paper cups
Utensils
Salt and Pepper
Hand washing supplies
Can opener

Kit #4: Spiritual/Paper Prep
Scriptures
Living Will
Books/Photos
Cash
Copies of fronts/backs of credit/debit cards
Consecrated Oil
Patriarchal blessing

Kit #5: Comfort Items
Medicine/Diabetic Supplies
Candy
Children's activities (may serve others' children)
Flashlight/Glow Sticks
Pen/pencil and notepad
Solar blanket/Poncho
Sewing Kit
ETC (Personalize it!)

Kit #6: First Aid
First Aid Manual
Asprin or Pain Relievers
Laxatives
Rubbing Alcohol
Diarrhea medication
Petroleum Jelly
Soap
Baking Soda and Salt (to replace body fluids in cases of shock, vomiting, diarrhea)
Gauze
Triangular Bandage (36 in x36 in x52 in)
Elastic Bandage

April Q & A Winner

A big thank you to Diane for submitting our featured question!

Question: What resources are available to find good deals on things we need?

Answer: The best way to find good deals is to be an informed consumer! Do your research and shop around. If you are purchasing services (for example home or car repairs), call a few companies and get quotes to compare. Ask if they will match prices or accept competitor’s coupons. If you are purchasing something retail, check out a couple of stores before making your decision. It’s more work, but on expensive items, it could save you hundreds of dollars. Also, be aware of what something costs new versus used. You can sometimes find great deals on secondhand items, but sometimes you can find new items for even cheaper if you watch for sales and clearance items. Also, word of mouth is great too. Let others know what you are in need of; they may have great recommendations.

Online resources for secondhand items:
Ksl.com
Craigslist.com
Freecycle.org (must be a member)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UTBulletinBoard/ (must be a member)

Retail resources for secondhand items:
Deseret Industries
Savers (99¢ Mon, ½ price ticket items)
Thrift Town (½ price ticket items)
Kid to Kid (children & maternity clothing and items)
Plato’s Closet (teen clothing)

For tips on shopping at thrift stores from Angela Hunsaker, check out How to ENJOY Shopping at a Thrift Store on a previous post of this blog. If you have any tips or sites to add, please leave a comment.

Creating a Will

None of us like to think about morbid things like needing a will, but it is a necessity to be prepared. Wills can speed up the process of distributing your assets and will make sure that they are given to whom you want them to be given to. Also, a will is even more important if you have children under the age of 18 who will need a guardian to care for them. Wouldn’t you rather be the one to choose who will raise your children if it can’t be you?

Creating a will involves choosing who will receive your assets – your beneficiaries, who will allocate your assets and follow through with your wishes – the executor, and who will be the guardians of your children in the event of your death. You will also need to have two witnesses (not beneficiaries of your will) available as you sign your will and it is highly recommended to have your will notarized. Each spouse will need to create their own will. Make sure that when you have completed your will, you let your family and your executor know about your will. Put it in a safe, accessible place and have a couple of copies available. We have a copy filed at home, one with our executor and one with my parents in another state.

Wills don’t have to be complicated or expensive. There are many options available to you. However, most of these options are for the most common situations. If you have a complicated estate or very specific requests or needs, consulting a lawyer may be your only option. As far as getting your will notarized, contact your bank or credit union. Sometimes the use of a notary is free of charge to members. There are many online sites available where you can enter your information and they will either mail or email it to you (some require a fee). Be sure to verify the site before giving out your personal information online. There are also sites that have forms that you can copy, paste and print your own. The free forms are very basic in nature, but are better than nothing. Or there are downloadable computer programs that you can purchase and use to create your will. The library also has computer programs that you can check out and create your will for free at home. The computer programs are most likely to give you more options than simple forms or free online sites.

Many of these programs also help you create a living will or advance health care directive. Living wills and advance health care directives allow you to specify what medical care and life saving or prolonging measures you want to have in the case that your condition makes it unable for you to make those decisions yourself. You can also assign a health care proxy to allow someone you trust to make those decisions for you. In any instance, it is wise to create some type of living will to spare your family and loved ones from making those decisions and dealing with the legal issues related to those decisions.


Disclaimer: We are not endorsing any of the following listed programs or sites; they are just a sample of what is available both online and at the county library.

Information about wills and living wills:
Steven J. Dixon, “Planning Ahead: The Importance of Wills and Trusts,” Ensign, Jun 1983, 28
http://www.usnews.com/money/retirement/articles/2007/11/12/how-to-write-a-will-online.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advance_health_care_directive

Free legal forms: http://www.free-legal-document.com/
Free online sites: http://www.doyourownwill.com/ & http://www.rocketlawyer.com/
Free computer programs from the library: Family Lawyer and Quicken WillMaker

Utah Museum of Fine Arts Free Days

The third Saturday of every month is free at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts 11am-5pm. They also have family activities planned each month from 2-4 on the free Saturdays.

On February 20 from 1-4pm at the UMFA you can celebrate Chinese New Year (starts Feb 14) by decorating paper lanterns and creating animal hats.

other upcoming activities:
March 20 - Oil Pastel Drawings
April 17 - Painted Canvases
May 15 - Decorate T-shirts
June 19 - Yarn Painting
July 17 - Family Festival (Las Artes De Mexico)

This would be a great, free opportunity to help cub scouts and activity day girls to pass off requirements for their Faith in God and scouting activities. [Faith in God: Developing Talents #5 - Visit an art museum or attend a concert, play, or other cultural event. Share your experience with your family or activity day group.]

How to ENJOY Shopping at a Thrift Store

A big thank you to Angela H. for sharing these tips to help us save money by shopping at thrift stores!

1. BE CREATIVE…REPURPOSE! Look at the parts that make up a thing. Can it be taken apart, cut up, or customized to suit your needs? When buying clothing, can it be tailored to fit, so you can shop in many size ranges?

2. KNOW WHAT A BARGAIN IS. What is the price when buying it new? What condition is it in? What will be the added cost of fixing an item in need of repair?

3. WHERE WILL I STORE THE ITEM? If you don’t have room to store an item, it should stay at the store, even if it is a great deal. If you must have it, then you must be willing to make the sacrifice to let go of items currently in your space.

4. HOW WILL I GET THE ITEM HOME? If you are shopping for large furniture, you may need to plan ahead to bring a vehicle that can accommodate your purchase. You may also need to plan not to have children and/or carseats with you for such a purchase.

5. CAN THE ITEM BE CLEANED? Is it still a bargain when including the cost of having an item cleaned? (i.e. dry cleaning)

6. BE PATIENT. If you don’t find a specific item this trip, keep trying! You can’t usually thrift shop with a list. Also, don’t give up if you don’t enjoy thrift shopping the first time you try it. Go more than once before giving up on it.

7. TAKE A FRIEND All shopping is more enjoyable with a friend!

8. BRING HANDWASH OR WIPES for when you leave the store. Sometimes you have to touch and move things just to see what treasures may be hidden on the shelves. This is a good habit to have for after shopping in ANY public shopping area.

January Q & A Winner

A big thank you to Becky for submitting our featured question!

Question: How can I save on groceries?

Answer: First of all, create and use a shopping list. Plan what your meals will be for the week, create a list of what you need to purchase to make those meals and only buy what you need – no impulse shopping! After you have made your list, study your weekly ads for the best deals. Some stores will price-match other store’s ads for the same item (quantity, size, etc) so you don’t have to drive around to all the stores. Use your weekly newspaper coupons or go online to find coupons for items that you need (it doesn’t save money to buy something just because you have a coupon for it). Another tip – if you have the funds, stock up when case-lot sales occur or when you find a really good price for something you use a lot of. If there is a great deal on something in bulk, split the item and cost with neighbors, family, or friends. Case-lot sales are happening now at many of the local grocery stores! Back-to-school sales in July and August also generally have good deals on snack items, cereals and items for school lunches, so stock up on food items as well as your school supplies!

Great Coupons Sites:
Pinchingyourpennies.com
Coupons.com
Smartsource.com
Redplum.com
Gurusdeals.com


If you have additional suggestions or great coupon sites, please share by posting a comment.

This Question and Answer Section addresses the topics that most concern you. The next newsletter will be coming out in April, so start thinking and submitting your questions, ideas and suggestions. If your question is selected, you can earn a small prize (small print disclaimer: reserved for members of the ward). But anyone is welcome to ask questions.

Preparing Your Taxes

Are you doing your own taxes this year? With the many computer tax software programs available, many people do. But before you go out and buy that computer software, try visiting the IRS website first. Many companies offer free programs for individuals with a household income below 57,000 for 2009. Just go to http://www.irs.gov/ and look for the “free-file” link on the right side of the page. You can then access a list of companies that offer free federal tax preparation or fill out a quick Q & A that will help find a program that you qualify for. It may take a few more minutes, but will save you quite a few dollars if you were planning on buying the program anyway. Just make sure, as always, to use common sense when putting your personal information on the web. Go with a reputable company that you recognize and use only secure sites. Submitting your federal tax return online is simple and you may get your refund back faster, but you can also print out your completed federal tax return and mail it in if you prefer.

Be aware that many sites offer state tax return services, but they are not free. Also be careful to access your return through the IRS website. Some companies only allow you to access their free-file option if you link from the IRS website, which means if you go to the company’s homepage you won’t be able to access their free-file option.

Scripture and Quotes from January 2010 Newsletter

“Thou shalt be diligent in preserving what thou hast, that thou mayest be a wise steward; for it is the free gift of the Lord thy God, and thou art his steward.”
- Doctrine and Covenants 136:27

Sacrificing and saving for something ensures that it is worth having and caring for. Buying impulsively, however, clutters your life with things that don’t mean anything after a short time—things you end up giving away or selling at a garage sale. Children benefit from saving for what they want. It is easier for them to resist fads and fashions if they have to sacrifice.
- Kay Przybille, “Stretching Your Dollars,” Ensign, Jun 2009, 36–37

Teaching Your Children How to Save - part 1

Saving money is a hard concept to learn, especially for a young child. I remember hearing often as a child the phrase ‘that money is burning a hole in your pocket’. Thankfully, my parents were able to teach me to save my money and I don’t hear that phrase anymore. As parents, we have a very important responsibility to teach our children to save and prepare them for a stable financial future. With examples to follow and the knowledge we give them, hopefully our children will be prepared to be financially responsible by the time they are young adults.

Teaching our children to save their money is one of the best things (besides the gospel) that we can pass on to our children to prepare them for the future. But how do we do it? Here are a few tips that may assist you in teaching your children to save:

First of all, Start Young. Any child who can hold money can spend it (or save it). The earlier you start, the easier it is to make it a habit and life-long practice. But it is never too late to teach your children, even your grown children, about saving.

Second, Make it FUN. If it’s fun, your child will do it, do it without you telling them to and probably remind you to do it too. Find some fun money banks that interest your child and will make saving fun. Be excited when your child earns money and can put it in their own money bank. My 2 year old loves to find money to drop into his bank. And along with that, find a fun way for them to save and pay their tithing. My kids have a separate jar for tithing and love filling out and turning in their own tithing slips.

Along with making it fun, your child is also never too young to have a savings account. Many banks and credit unions have special savings accounts, CDs, etc available to young savers. Sometimes the interest rates are better, they have lower minimum amounts and also offer incentives to young children or youth for saving. Let the bank or credit union help you make it fun to save. Take a ‘field trip’ to the bank to deposit their money. The more fun it is, the more they will want to do it.

Third, Set Goals. If your child is saving just because you tell them they need to, it’s not very fun or exciting for them. Discuss with your child what they are saving for. Elder Marvin J. Ashton wrote in the One for the Money pamphlet, “‘Save your money’ is a hollow pronouncement from a parent to a child. ‘Save your money for a mission, bicycle, doll house, trousseau, or car’ makes understandable sense.” If they have a reachable goal, then they are more likely to understand the benefits of saving and begin the habit of saving for their wants.

Your child may need to be reminded of those goals on a regular basis. How often have your children, or even you, been tempted to purchase something small like a candy bar while waiting in the check-out line? If your children know that those impulse buys have to be bought themselves and that it will take that much longer to save for their goal, then they (and you) are more likely to save for what really matters.

Related Ensign Articles for more reference and tips:
Margo Johnson, “Lessons of an Allowance,” Ensign, Sept. 1996, 71

Marvin K. Gardner, “Staying Prepared,” Ensign, Feb 1979, 24

Jenniev J. Poulson and John R. Christiansen, “Can Children Learn to Manage Money?,” Ensign, Jan 1971, 57

Kay Przybille, “Stretching Your Dollars,” Ensign, Jun 2009, 36–37

Snowbird Customer Appreciation Days

If you bring in a can of food (one per person) you can ride the Snowbird Tram for free on Saturday, October 31 and Saturday, November 7 from 11am - 5pm (weather permitting). We have gone in years past and there is a wait in line to ride the tram (probably at least 20-45 minutes). They are packed pretty full, but you get a great view from the top. I took 6 boys last year and they all thought it was worth it.

Question and Answer Competition!

We are going to feature a Question and Answer section in future newsletters that addresses the topics that most concern you. Therefore, we need you all to submit your financial questions to us by comment, email, phone or even a note. If your question is chosen to be featured in an upcoming newsletter, you will receive a small prize. Start thinking and submitting – the next newsletter will be coming out in January 2010!

Teaching Children – The Value of Money

Teaching children about money should be high on our list of priorities. The One for the Money pamphlet produced by the church has 12 points to guide us in properly managing family finances. Three of those points address the need to involve and teach the family members about finances. Family Home Evening is a great place to teach and discuss these important topics, but even more influential is your example and day to day discussions with your children.

Your interactions about finances with your children will depend on their age, abilities and comprehension. For example, with a two year old, the ‘discussion’ might include “Money goes in the piggy bank, not your mouth.” They can really enjoy the fun of putting coins in a money bank and it is teaching them to save from a very young age. A discussion with a teenager would be drastically different. For example, talk with them about whether they paid their tithing and ask what it is they are saving their money for, both short-term and long-term goals – clothing, a date, a car, college, mission, etc.

Kids also love spending money. Allow them the opportunity to give money to the cashier when purchasing something small, particularly when it will be something for them. Older children can count out the money and be responsible for that. Not only is it fun for them, they are learning that we don’t get something for nothing.

It is important that children learn the value of money. It will give them a foundation for making wise decisions on how to spend (or save) their money. Young children often don’t understand what items are worth, so telling them that a dollar will buy a candy bar, or rent a movie will help them put it into perspective. Another way to teach the value of money is to explain how long a parent needs to work to earn the money to buy a certain item. Encourage play around money – for example, set up a play store or a pretend garage sale.

Involve your children in your grocery shopping, gift shopping, etc. They will learn very quickly about the value of money. When a child asks for something, it could be the perfect opportunity to talk about how much things cost. Don’t hesitate to let them know if it costs too much, or it isn’t worth the price. Also, encourage them to save for something they really want. Children will learn more from being told no and waiting for their wants than being indulged at the moment.

Christmas Already?

It may only be September, but December comes quickly, and so does Christmas! It seems crazy, but it is never too early to start planning and saving for Christmas. Now is a good time to start discussing your Christmas budget. Decide now, before the Christmas wish list starts, what you will spend per person for Christmas. And stick to it! Don’t get tricked into increasing your budget because a certain person wants something that exceeds your budget. They can keep dreaming . . . or better, yet . . . teach them to start saving for their dream.

In your Christmas budget planning, decide whether you can afford your Christmas budget. If the money isn’t there and won’t be by Christmas time, get a little more creative with your gifts and spend less. It doesn’t benefit anyone by going into debt for Christmas.

Just to look at some numbers . . .

If you were to spend $500 for Christmas and put it all on your credit card at 13% interest, it would take you 42 months to pay it off with a minimum payment of $15 a month! Or, say you wanted to pay it off in just one year, your monthly payment would be $44.18. You don’t want to be paying for last year’s Christmas when it is time to start thinking about this year’s Christmas. Wouldn’t you be better off to have a light Christmas this year and start saving that $45 a month for next year?

A few other helpful Christmas tips:

Keep your eyes open for sales, clearance items and great deals all throughout the year. If you know the people you are buying for, you can sometimes get great deals long before you think about Christmas. Be cautious though, no matter how good a deal it is, if they aren’t going to like it [or it is a fad that will go out of style], it isn’t worth it. Always keep your receipts and don’t forget what you bought and where you hid it.

Get creative in your giving. Homemade gifts are generally cheaper to give and have a lot more meaning. Gifts of service are sometimes the most valued gifts. It truly is the thought (and time) that counts, not the money.

Make a list of who you really want to give to. It may be nice to give gifts to all your family, friends and neighbors but, is it necessary and can you afford it? Maybe a simple handmade note or card would be enough to tell them that you are thinking of them and care about them. If you were to ask them, they would probably say they would rather you be in a healthier financial situation than to receive a gift from you.

Emergency Fund

Experts recommend having three to sixth months of expenses saved in an accessible account for those inevitable emergencies that arise in life. Those ‘rainy days’ come in the form of unemployment, medical emergencies, car accidents and loss of vehicles, the demise of an appliance, etc. Sometimes it doesn’t just rain, it pours! How is your ‘rainy day’ fund doing? If saving three to sixth months of expenses seems beyond your current abilities – start somewhere. Make it your goal to have $1000 put away for an emergency – and remember it is only for true emergencies – not Christmas, birthdays, clothes, or whatever your current need or want is.

When that emergency happens, and you do have to use some of your ‘rainy day’ fund, it will be a blessing. You won’t have to use credit to fund your emergency and you will have more peace in your lives knowing that you can weather the storm. Think of it as your financial food storage and don’t forget to replenish it after use. Come up with a plan of how to save and build your fund (budgets are great tools for this) and DO IT.

A family in the ward recently experienced the blessings of having an emergency fund and being prepared for the future:

Several years ago we started a dedicated savings (emergency fund) by adding some tax money here, a bonus there, and $10/ month. When we paid off a bill, we increased the amount we saved each month.

Our family van died on a Friday. We had no money for payments on a used one. Since we had our emergency fund and had saved a little of our tax return for a shed, we knew we had a certain amount of money we could spend for a used van. It wasn’t much, so we took it to the Lord. We told the Lord we needed a safe vehicle and didn’t want to go into debt. We told the Lord the amount of money we had and asked him to guide us to find something reliable. We fasted on Sunday and by Monday we had a van. Between the van, inspection and licensing, it was the amount we told the Lord we had available. Because of our emergency fund, prayers and miracles, we were back on the road in 5 days.

Free at Tracy Aviary

Tracy Aviary is free this UEA weekend. I know it's kind of late notice, but there is still tomorrow (between Conference sessions of course).

Free Days at the Zoo

The Hogle Zoo is once again hosting free days through the winter. They are the last Wednesdays of Nov, Dec, Jan and Feb. So mark your calendar. In the past, if the weather is decent, it can get pretty busy, but for the most part, it's worth it!

November 25
December 30
January 27
February 24

Great Lesson on Provident Living

Sunday, August 30th, Bishop and our RS President gave a great 5th Sunday lesson on Provident Living, Self-Reliance and Welfare. It was to help inspire us all to do better as we prepare for the future and to make changes in our lives that will help us be more self-reliant.

The RS President shared a story about Gullible Gulls related by Pres. Marion G. Romney. The article, "The Celestial Nature of Self-Reliance" has been re-printed in the March 2009 Ensign and can also be found online. She also encouraged everyone to think of what they can change or do better at and to write it down and do it.

Bishop relayed a lesson his brother learned from a church training meeting that no matter how well you treat your wife, you can always do better. He applied that to welfare and service: No matter how much you give or serve, you can always do better.

These are a few brief recollections I have from this great lesson, but it was tape recorded. If you missed attending this meeting and are interested in listening to the recording, leave a comment and I will get back to you or you can contact the RS President to get the recording.

Thanksgiving Point in August

Thanksgiving Point's August $2 Tuesdays Thanksgiving Point is cheaper in August! You can get into the Thanksgiving Point Gardens, Farm Country OR the Museum of Ancient Life (dinosaur museum) for $2 any Tuesday in August!